BETWEEN LOVE AND LIES || JAESAHI

CHAPTER I

The alarm's beeping echoed throughout the spacious bedroom. Arthur gradually groans and tried to reach the alarm on his bedside table with his eyes still closed and when he succeeded, he throws it and the thing landed on the floor with a thump. But the alarm didn't go off. Annoyed by the sound the alarm was making, Arthur slowly get up, massaged his temple and shoot daggers at the poor thing on the floor. If looks could kill, and if the alarm is human, it was probably dead by now. As much as he wants to lay on his bed and sleep all day, he couldn't because it's the first day of school. Senior year, he thought.

After a few minutes of him just blankly staring outside his window, Arthur stood up and walked to the bathroom to prepare for school. He stood in front of the bathroom mirror and stared at his own reflection. One more year, one more agonizing year and I will be finally free from that hell hole people called school, free from those motherfuckers, free from this house, and.. free from him. Arthur heaved a sigh and decided to do his morning routine. Thirty minutes later, he walks out of his room and slowly descended the stairs. He saw his older sister at the living room, reading some magazine. She didn't even bother to look at him when he passed by and Arthur seems to didn't care at all. He looks for his mom and as usual, he found her on her mini garden, doing God knows what. Arthur should be used to it by now, but the young boy couldn't help but to pity his mom sometimes. As much as Arthur wants to hate her, he just couldn't, not when Arthur didn't know what his mom has been going through all this time. Arthur just observed her for a minute and decided to get out of the house when he thinks he had enough of him watching her like a creep. He walked to the nearest bus stop, not bothering to say goodbye to his sister or to his mother. What's the use of it anyway, we're practically strangers to each other now just living in the same roof, he thought.

As Arthur was near by the bus stop, he spotted his long time and only friend, Jaden waiting for him. Jaden looked at his way and they smiled at each other.

"Dude, how are you? How's the vacation?"

"I am a boring person with a boring life. What would you expect?"

Jaden laughed at Arthur's words and Arthur just smiled at his friend. Arthur and Jaden have been friends since freshman year. They both love arts and they participated in the same club and that was when they became best friends. Jaden is still a part of the Art Club until now but Arthur? Arthur quit the club two years ago and up to this day, Jaden still have no idea why his friend quit the club all of a sudden and he never saw Arthur draw or even held a drawing pencil again since then.

They continued their conversation a little further to the students and Arthur noticed that some of them keep on staring at him and sometimes Arthur can see them whispering to their friends while they were looking at him as if he is just some kind of virus in the society. Arthur is used to it by now, but sometimes he couldn't help himself to react with those kind of stares and whispers especially when it was already too much for him to handle.

"What? Got a fucking problem with my face?"

Arthur knew that nothing will change even if he prove to these people that he is not that kind of person rumors has been telling about him. For two years of him being the talk of the town always, Arthur learned how to mask all of his emotions with his bored face and dead eyes so people wouldn't know how much their reactions towards him affect him. It is not because Arthur just didn't care at all, he is just too tired to explain himself.

"Don't mind them Art, it's senior year already. You only have one year to endure those people."  Jaden whispered beside him.

"Yeah, that was what I said to my self this morning too. One more fucking year and I'm out."

"Yep, you just have to endure it. Come on, the bus is here. The earlier we come the sooner this shit will be done."

He followed Jaden with one thing in his mind,

Senior year, he thought, yay.